Video: Dubai's traffic 'ATMs' with contactless payments at malls

Your service transaction will be completed within less than a minute, promises Ahmed Mahboob, Director of Customers Service at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

He refers to the ‘ATM-like machine’ that enables customers to avail certain services without the help of a clerk.

The smart kiosk was launched in December last year and, since then, the six available machines have completed about 73,000 transactions. The success calls for an expansion.

The RTA is currently working on a plan to introduce a host of new services provided through smart kiosks.

“We looked at the services that are consumed the most, and these are the renewal of a driving licence and the issuance of parking cards of the category A and B.

“These services will become available through the smart kiosk in the near future,” said Mahboob.

Another new feature of the smart kiosk will be introduced within this year, he pointed out.

Although payment must now be done by credit card, the smart kiosk will soon accept payment through cash, and through the NFC technology, which will allow the swipe of a smart phone to do the job.

Although the smart kiosk is currently only available at certain customer service centres, the plan is to introduce the smart technology at shopping centres, where customers will be able to avail their required service at most convenient times.

“You can compare it to the development of the ATM. At first, you could only find these within the banks, nowadays there are ATMs in the malls and even at gas stations.

“This is the future we have in mind for the smart kiosk.”

The smart kiosk currently delivers services in five categories: car registration renewal, payment of fines, replacement of lost or damaged registration cards, certificates (such as for insurance, or Dubai Police) and collection, as the customer can receive the requested item through the device.

Asked why a person should opt to request a service on the smart kiosk rather than at the front desk, Mahboob answers in one word: time.
“When a customer goes to a service desk, he will wait about 10 minutes and the service time will take another 15 minute.
“At the smart kiosk the same transaction will take less than a minute.”

On average, the transaction time of a service acquired through the smart kiosk takes 45 seconds, he points out.

The smart kiosk requires the customer’s national ID card, and currently, a credit card. The technology is currently available at customer service centres in Deira, Umm Al Ramool, Al Barsha, Al Twar Registration Centre and Jumeirah Beach Road.

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